This settlement has been in Dharavi for almost 60 years. The earliest settlers in Dharavi area was the Koli community. After the Kolis, people from other regions started migrating to Dharavi. People came here from all parts of India from Kolhapur, Solapur to other states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, UP, Bihar. Natural calamities, exploitation by the higher caste and lack of employed opportunities were some of the reasons for this community to migrate to the city of Mumbai.
The Basveshwar Nagar settlement had people coming from different parts of Maharashtra. Although the number of settlers from other states was minimal, today this dominant trend is changing. In Basveshwar Nagar, the majority population that resides are Hindus. Amongst Hindus, the ‘Dhor’ is among the fourth caste in the Hindu tradition also known as Shudras are predominant in Basveshwar Nagar. (According to the Hindu religious scripture castes like Dhor, Mahar, cobblers are put into ‘extreme shudras’ section and this is called the fifth caste). The name Basveshwar Nagar has been given by the Dhors of the community. The community gets its name from the late saint Kakkayya also known as Basveshwar who belonged to the Dhor caste. Dhor in Sanskrit means animals like cow, bull, buffalo and as per the Hindu traditions, a person from Dhor caste is supposed to pull these animals
Prominent festivals celebrated by this community are Ganpati ustav, Holi, Diwali, Navratri . During Hanuman Jayanti locals participate in Jyotiba’s palkhi. The palkhi leaves from the Hanuman temple at yellow bungalow to the well near the Balwadi in Dharavi.
Some of the occupations in this community is making hand gloves, belts, shoe and duppattas.
